CBI director Alok Verma, who has been asked by the central government to go on leave, has moved the Supreme Court against his removal. The Supreme Court has said that it will hear Verma's petition on Friday. Verma has reportedly called the Centre's order divesting him of all his powers as 'illegal'.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph considered the submission of Verma that his plea against the Centre's decision to send him on leave required urgent hearing.

The CBI chief has also challenged the decision to appoint Joint Director M Nageshwar Rao as head of the probe agency.

The order implied that the government has sidelined all the three additional directors, number three in the agency hierarchy, including AK Sharma whose name had figured in the complaint by Asthana. Asthana was also stripped off from all his roles and responsibilities at the agency on Tuesday.